Vending machine



J. ZSOLDOS.

VENDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 12. 1921 Patented Nov; 14, 1922.

[N VEN T OR.

Fatented Nov. 14, 1922.

JULIUS zsoLnos, or BROOKLYN, new YORK, nssrenoa'ro RESTAURANT MACHINERY COMPANY, or NEW YORK, 1\T.'Y.,

A oonronn'rron or DELAWARE.

VENDING MACHINE.

Original application filed December 15, 1919, Serial No, 344,828. Divided and this application filed 0cto' To aZZw/wmitmay canoe 1%: v

Be it known that l, JULIUS ZsoLnos,- a citizen of Hungary, residing in the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Vending Machine, of which the following is a specification;

This invention is a'vending machine and particularly adapted for employment in the vending of food in automatic restaurants, although its use is, manifestly, not restricted to this environment.- Y

The vending machine of the present in vention embodies one or more compartments adapted to contain the food tobe vended, and each compartment is provided with a front closure which may be. termed a dis charging closure, and a rearclosure which may be termed a charging closure. Food is adapted to be-positioned within the chamher by opening the charging closure and is removed by the purchaser after opening the discharging closure. In practice, the opening of the front closure bythe prospective purchaser is preferably made conditional upon the insertion of coins of a predetermined value, into the machine, but this forms no part of the present invention. Such coin actuated mechanism as well asother adjunctive devices and cooperating mechanism, are fully disclosed in my oopending application Serial No. 344,828, filed December 15, 1919, of which this application is a division.

by virtue of which the front closure of the food chamber'may be automatically. closed through electric mechanism, caused to, function by the act of replenishing the food chamber through the rear closure.

The machine is preferably so constructed that after the contents of any one of the food chambers has been dispensed through the opening of the front closure, said front closure will remain open and in unlocked condition until attendant opens the rear closure, replenishes the food chamber and closes the rear closure, such replenishing operation serving to effect a closing and locking of the front closure.

In one of its preferred, practical embodiments the inventionconsists in a food chamber provided with a front closure and a The present invention is directed. more especially, to novel and effio1entmeans,

ber 12, 1921. Serial No. 507,165.

rear. closure. Means is provided to nor-' mallylock the front closure in closed positlon. Suitable means is further: associated with the frontclosure whereby said closure may be unlocked by aprospectivepurchaser, and when so unlocked the means for locking the same is adapted to lock said closure in an unlocked condition so that. it cannot be inadvertently locked again until the food to be ve'ndedis subsequently positioned within 1 the food chamber. With the locking mechamsm oflthe front'closure, is associated electric means which are controlled by the opera tion of the rear "closure sothat when the rear closure is opened to introducefood into the chamber, said electric mechanism will be energized and operated to effect a closing and locking. of thefront closure. a

I have found it practical to associate with the front closure an electrically controlled lockrwhich vmay be energized by suitable coin-controlled mechanism to unlock the front closure, and may be further energized through the operation of the rear closure to relock the front closure when said front closure'has been moved to closed position by further electrical means brought into operation by the-movement of the rear closure. The presentoinvention, however, is not restricted to these. details but contemplates, particularly, the electrical control of the front'closure by or from the rear closure. A mechanical control of a front closure by a rear closure'hasheretofore been suggested but has not been proven practical. Such mechanical controls necessitate thewemployment of cumbersome and unwieldly -mechanism which passes through the food chamlevers. Such links and levers require lubrication to properly function, and the use of oil orother lubricants within the food chamber is nothealthy nor desirable. Moreover, the links and levers, particularly When 1u1or1 cated, rapidly collect dust and dirt, and render the construction unsanitary and unclean. By I the I employment of electric means, such as contemplated by the present her and usually comprises pivoted links and invention, I am able to efliciently and readily control the front closure from'the back closure, without passing any of the controlled means within the food chamber.

Other advantages adhering in the constructionof this inventionwillbe apparent from .the following detailed description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one practical embodiment of the invention, but the construction therein shown is to be understood as illustrative only and not as defining the limits of the invention.

Figure 1 is a fragment-a1 perspective view of a portion of a vending machine embodyin the present invention.

igure 2 is a perspective detail of switch mechanism illustrated in Figure l, and

Figure 3 is a side elevation of an electri cally controlled lock employed in the construction of Figure 1.

A machine embodying the present invention may partake of various forms but, for the purpose of illustratiomI have shown a machine of the character described and claimed in my co-pending application, filed December 15, 1919, Serial No. 344,828, of which this application is a division. In the illustration advanced, Figure 1 shows two substantially complete compartments, and the adjoining upper and lower compartments are illustrated fraginentarily. The upper fragmentary compartment is desig nated 1, the next lower compartment 2, the next lower 3, and the lowermost compartment 4-. As shown, this bank or tier of compartments, which may be duplicated side by side, is constructed by associating spaced platforms 5 in an upright angle iron frame. Each compartment is provided at its front with a door 6, and at its back with a door 7. The doors 6 are each pivoted at their upper edges in the angle iron frame on suitable trunnions, one of which is continued to form a crank 8, the purpose of which will be hereinafter more fully set forth, while the back doors are pivoted at their upper edges in any suitable manner to allow of their being raised or lowered into open or closed position. Each of the front doors is provided with a keeper 9, by means of which it may be normally locked in closed position, and at the upper edge of each door is preferably provided a spring, 10, the purpose of which is to move the door into slightly open position as soon released or unlocked by mechanism herein after to be described. The front doors are preferably provided with glass or otherwise transparent panels, so that the contents of the compartments may be viewed by the prospective purchasers, but, in practice, the back doors are preferably made opaque so as to conceal the space back of the compartments. In the carrying-outof its functions, the several compartments are charged by an attendant who introduces the food into the compartments throughthe rear door that shown and the doors may be mounted in other ways, without departing from the splrit or scope of the invention. However,

in associating the invention with a structure of the character disclosed, 1 associated with the frame of the machine, adjacent each compartment, an electrically look, so that each of the front doors 6 may be individually controlled. The lock may partake of various forms, but as shown embodies a latch 75, pivoted at 76 to an l-- shaped frame 22, one arm of which carries the pivot 76, and the other arm of which carries the magnet 74-, of which the. latch 75 constitutes the armature. The latch 7 is provided at its rear end with an upwardly extending arm 77, which is adapted to control a switch 78. This switch 78 embodies a relatively fixed contact arm 78 and a spring contact arm 78, flexed in an upward direc tion, so that the contacts of the switch .78 are in engagement with one another and the circuit which said switch controls is completed. A spring 80 associated with the latch, serves to normally maintain the parts in this condition, which is the locked condition of the look. When one of the compartment doors 6 is closed and the corresponding latch 75 depressed, as is shown in full lines in Figure "3, the free end of the latch engages with the keeper 9 of the door, and locks the door in closed position. This leaves the circuit 103, which the switch 78 controls, completed. If the magnet 74 is now energized it serves to lift the latch '7 5 against the tension of the spring 80 for the purpose of simultaneously unlocking the door and opening the switch 78 to deenergize the -magnet 7 1. As soon as the latch 75 is raised to unlock the door, the arm 77 of the latch comes to a position back of the stop 81, so

that the latch locked by said stop in lift-ed position and the door is locked in an unlocked positlon.

Asclearly and fullyset forth in my co pending application aforesaid, the 'means for unlocking the door through the completion of the circuit 108 and the consequent energizing of the ma net 7 1 is accomplished through com-actuatec mechamsm and associated push-button mechanism. These mechanisms are, however, embraced in my prior application, and the. present invention controlled is not particularly directed thereto, but rather and especially to the-means for relocking the front door after it is opened and locked open. The present invention contemplates the relocking of the front door by movement of the back door. 1

To this end I associate with each door, a switch 114, which is shown as a piston switch provided with a stem 113 carrying a metallic piston, back of which is positioned a spring 1155. Contacts 116 and 117 are set into the walls of the switch, so that when the spring115 forces the piston forwardly, said piston serves to bridge the contacts 116 and 117, and complete a circuit 118. Each switch 114- is positioned directly adjacent one of the pivots of its associated back door 7, and on said back door is mounted a projection 112 which, when the door isclosed, presses uponthe stem 113 and forces the piston free from engagement with thecontacts 116 and 117 after the manner clearly shown in Figure" 2. However, when the door 7 is opened, the spring 115 automatically forces the piston forwardly, so that the circuit 118 is completed. 1 v i Also associated with each compartment, is a solenoid 24, the several solenoids being included in multiple in the circuit 118, and in series with the corresponding switch 114.

Accordingly, when any one back door is opened to permit the replenishing of the compartment with food, the solenoid associated with that upper'solenoid is energized. and in accordance with this invent-ion said solenoid is so operatively connected with the corresponding front door and its associated electric lock, that whenv so energized such front door will'beinstantly and positively closed and locked, v

In the preferred manner of carrying out the invention each solenoid 24 is provided with a movable core 24, which is connected by a link 119 of the Crank 8, associated with the pivot of the corresponding front door, and also connected by a link 120 to the spring arm 78 of the corresponding door,

lock. The links 119 and 120 may be either rigid or flexible,since they serve the purpose of tension members.

When the solenoids 24 are deenergize'd with the corresponding back doors closed, and with one or more front doors open, e. g., the front door 6 of the compartment 2, the parts will appear as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. This is the condition of the parts after food has been dispensed from the compartment 2, the purchaser leaving the front door 6 open, and the same being locked in open position, and looked in such position by the stop 81. If the attendant now opens the rear door 7 of the compartment 2, such opening of the door 7 will per mit the spring 115 of the switch 114 to cause the piston of said switchto complete the ing of the front door, and are not of particu- ,circuit 118 through the corresponding sole-- I I and simultaneously, the link 1201mm lift the contact arm 7 8 so that the stop 81, will carry the upper end of thearm 77 of latch i 75. Since the stop 81 frees the latch,'the spring immed'ately depresses said latch and, as the door 18 at this time being held in closed position bythe link 119, the latch will dropinto engagement with the keeper i 9, and; the door 6 will be locked in closed position. After the attendant'has opened the door and through the operation described, automaticallyandelectrically effected the closing and locking of the front door, he proceeds to replenish the compartment with food and thereafter closes therear door. Theclosing of the rear door merely serves to break the circuit 118 "and deenergize the solenoid 24, leavnig the front door in a closed :and locked condition. A spring .7 is shown in Figure 2*as associated with the pivot of the back door to maintain theweight of the door is adequate toovercome the tension ofthe springlldofswitch 114, andthe spring 7 is notessential.

same in closed positiombut in practice, the

In the foregoing detailed description the,

preferred form of thepresent inventionhas been setforth' in detail, and I have shownand fully described the manner in which the operation of the front door of thefood chainher, and more particularlythe closing and tively controlled through electrical means, by the operation of the back doorof such locking of the same, may be fully andp'osicompartment. In the drawings other details are shown which enter into'the construction,

of the machine, such as thepush-button 23,,

the coin slot 11, and the spring 10 for causingthe front door to springopen, immedi-,

ately after it is unlocked. These adjunctive features, however, relate particularly'to' the dispensing operation and not to therelocklar interest in this application; 4

I I am awarethat the construction described I in the foregoing specification, and illustrated v in detail in the accompanyingdrawings,

may be changed or modified,as by the substitution of equivalents, by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention, which is to be under- I stood as broadly novel, flS'lS commensurate i with the appended "claims.

'Havingthus fully described the inven tion', what I claim asjnew and desire .to secure by Letters Patent is: p 5 I 1. A vending machine embodying a compartment provided with'nfront and rear clo-'v sures, a lock associated with the front 1010-;

sure, and electron]aguetie vnennscontrolled by the operations of the roar closure for closing; and locking the front closure.

A vending machine eml'iodying a vendahle compartment provided with front and rear closures, a lock associated with the front closure, electro-magnetic means for closing and locking the front closure, and a switch operable by movement of the rear closure for controlling the operations of the electro-magnetic means. I

3. A vending machine embodying front and rear closures, locking means associated with the front closure, means for normally locking the lock in unlocked position, tension means assocated with the frontclosure andwith the means for locking the lock in unlocked condition, and means, contr lled by the movement of the rear closure for electro-magnetically imposing a tension upon the tension means to simultaneously lock and close the front closure.

4. A vending machine embodying a compartment provided ith a pivoted front clo sure having a crank formed on one of the pivots thereof, and a rear closure, a locl;

associated with the front closure, a solenoid,

connections between the core of the solenoid and the crank of the front closure and also between the core of the solenoid and the means for locking the lock in unlocked position, and a switch operable by the rear closure for energizing the solenoid for the purpose of simultaneously closing and locking the front doors.

5. A vending machine embodying a compartment provided with front and rear closures, and means electrically controlled by movement of the rear closure to effect a closing and locking of the front closure.

6. A vending machine embodying a compartment provided withfront and rear closures, electrically operated means for closing the front closure, electrically operated meansfor locking the front closure after it has been, closed, and electrical means operated by the movement of the rear closure to control operations of the front closure, closing andlockingmeans. i v

7. A vending machine embodying; a compartment provided with front and rear closures, a lock associated with the front closure, power mechanism operatively associated with the front closure aml with the lock to effect a closing of the front closure and the simultaneous locking of thesame in in closed position, and electrical means controlled by the operations of the rear closure for controlling the operations of the power,

mechanism.

8. A vending machine embodying a compartment provided with a front closure and a rear closure, a lock associated with the front closure, means associated with the lock for maintaining the lock in unlocked condition, a solenoid provided with a movable core, operative connections between the front closure and the core and between the core and the means for locking the lock in unlocked condition, whereby movement of the solenoid core is adapted to close the front closure and simultaneously release the lock to permit of the locking of the front closure in closed position, and an electric circuit, including a switch operable by mov ment of the rear closure, so thatthe closing and locking of the front closure is made conditional upon movement of the rear clo sure.

9. A vending machine, embodying a compartment provided with a pivoted front closure and a pivoted rear closure, a lock associated with the front closure, a solenoid,

therein with amovable core 0 )erative concluding a switch, positioned for operation through movement of the rear closure, so that the closing and locking of the front closure is made conditional upon the movement of the rear closure.

10. A vending machine embodying a com part-ment provided with a front closure, a

lock associated with said closure, electrical. means common to the lock and closure for closing said closure and simultaneously locking the same, said means provided with an electric circuit including a switch which, when actuated, causes the closing and locking of the front closure.

In testimony whereof I have signed the foregoing specification.

.mLnis zsonnos. 

